Chapter 37: The Great Fire

"Steward Xu! Steward Xu!"

Someone approached from the distance, their body charred beyond recognition by a raging fire, shouting incessantly for Steward Xu.

"I must see Steward Xu!"

After the demons descended from the sky, Xu Liang had immediately ordered men to secure the storehouse. The man approaching was Han Zilin, a peak-stage Spirit Refiner who had been entrusted with guarding the facility. Recognizing Zilin’s voice, Xu Liang rushed to his side. Given the intensity of the explosion at the storehouse, Xu Liang had assumed the young man was dead. He never expected him to still be breathing.

"Quick! Someone get a physician!" Xu Liang ordered loudly.

"Don't bother," Han Zilin wheezed. "The only reason I’m still standing is because I shattered my own meridians to use my spiritual energy to sustain my body. Once that energy dissipates, I won't have a chance at survival."

"Why would you do such a thing?" Xu Liang asked, his voice thick with anxiety.

"I did this so I could tell everyone that the fire at the storehouse was set by that bastard, Chu Chen."

After being assigned to guard the storehouse, Han Zilin had gone straight there, dutifully fulfilling the task Steward Xu had given him. He knew the Demon Suppression Division was in a crisis. With demons appearing constantly, the team members were exhausting their spiritual energy and would soon need to draw upon the Spirit Rhyme Pills stored within. He understood that Steward Xu only entrusted him with such a vital task because he trusted him. If he succeeded, it would be a major contribution to the Division, and the subsequent rewards would surely be generous. Truth be told, Han Zilin had also harbored a secret relief, glad to avoid the direct fighting against the demons.

Han Zilin looked at Steward Xu and recounted everything he had seen.

"Not long after I arrived at the storehouse, Chu Chen, with his short hair, suddenly appeared at the entrance. He claimed that because everyone was fighting the demons, they needed the Spirit Rhyme Pills to replenish their energy. Since he was General Bai Ning’s disciple and had been personally brought into the Division by you, Steward Xu, I didn't think twice and let him in."

"But after he entered, the smell of kerosene began to waft out. When I went to investigate, I saw Chu Chen pouring kerosene over the crates of pills. When he realized he had been exposed, he actually unleashed a hidden weapon at me. Because of the vast gap in our cultivation, I easily dodged it. Just as I was preparing to strike back, Chu Chen vanished."

"A firestarter rolled across the floor. Before I could extinguish it, the entire storehouse was engulfed in flames, and all the Spirit Rhyme Pills were reduced to ash. The heat wave blasted me away, and I smashed heavily against the wall. By the time I regained consciousness, everything around me was a sea of fire. To ensure everyone knew that Chu Chen was the arsonist, I shattered my meridians to keep myself alive long enough to report this."

Upon hearing Han Zilin’s account, the members of the Demon Suppression Division wore grim expressions, their hands clenched into tight fists.

"I knew there was something wrong with Chu Chen!" someone shouted from the crowd, drawing everyone's attention. "How could someone who just started refining energy jump straight to the peak stage, even killing a fourth-rank demon while still in the energy-refining realm? It’s even more incomprehensible that he managed to escape the ambush of a Corpse-Guarding Demon! All of these things prove that this Chu Chen has been feigning weakness all along. I have reason to suspect he deliberately suppressed his cultivation to infiltrate the Demon Suppression Division with malicious intent."

As the voice faded, a young man spoke up. "You're lying!"

Everyone turned to see the eldest grandson of General Huang Yuan. In Huang Zhengliang's eyes, anyone could have set the fire, but it could not have been Chu Chen. The five of them had been in the courtyard fighting demons the entire time and had never left.

"The four of us and Chu Chen have been fighting demons in General Bai Ning’s courtyard without ever leaving. How could Chu Chen have gone to the storehouse to set a fire?"

Han Zilin roared in fury, "I saw it with my own eyes! How could it be false?"

"We were killing demons alongside Chu Chen! Are you saying that’s a lie?"

The mangled Han Zilin spread his arms in anger, showing everyone his horrific state. "I’ve thrown my life away! Do you really think I’d go to such lengths just to frame Chu Chen?"

Seeing the state of Han Zilin, the members of the Division felt there was no reason for him to lie. No one would disfigure themselves just to frame someone else.

"Tell me, Huang Zhengliang, who can prove that the five of you were killing demons the whole time?"

"Does that even need proof?" Huang Zhengliang asked, looking puzzled.

"Of course it does." The man who had spoken stepped forward. "According to Steward Xu’s orders, all Spirit Refiner teams were to coordinate and kill demons on the perimeter. During that time, my team worked alongside many others. Yet, I never once saw your team. I believe everyone here has cooperated with other teams at some point. Can anyone here say they’ve encountered Huang Zhengliang’s team?"

The crowd began to whisper as they searched their memories.

"I really haven't seen them."

"Now that you mention it, I haven't seen Huang Zhengliang's team either."

"My team hasn't seen them either."

Hearing the crowd confirm they hadn't seen his team, Huang Zhengliang shouted an explanation: "We were fighting demons inside General Bai Ning’s courtyard the entire time." He felt that wasn't enough, so he added, "You all know that General Bai Ning prefers peace and quiet. His courtyard is built in the deepest part of the Demon Suppression Division. Is it really so strange that you didn't see us?"

From the crowd, a biting voice rang out, "Who knows if you were actually killing demons or just hiding to avoid danger?"

"Who said that!" Huang Zhengliang demanded.

Because he was the grandson of General Huang Yuan, and because General Huang himself had arrived just behind his grandson, the person who spoke did not dare to step forward. Seeing this, the others also fell silent.

"So you can say it but don't have the guts to own it?" Huang Zhengliang asked coldly, letting his temper flare. "A bunch of cowards!"

The members of the Demon Suppression Division gritted their teeth in silent fury. These were people who had displayed absolute fearlessness in the face of demons. They could be called anything, but to be labeled cowards was a trampling of their bravery.

"Everyone is just suspicious. Is there any need for name-calling?" The usually gentle Zhang Heng stepped out to speak for the others.

Huang Zhengliang finally found someone who wasn't afraid to die. *My grandfather is right behind me, and you still dare to step out?* "Was I wrong to call them cowards? If you dare to say it, you’d better have the guts to admit it!"

"I said it!" A man stepped out from the crowd.

"It wasn't him; I said it!" Another stepped out.

"It was me!"

"Me too!"

As more people stepped forward, Steward Xu shouted, "Enough! Stop this! Look at what time it is!"

"Zilin says Chu Chen set the fire, and Zhengliang says Chu Chen was in the courtyard killing demons. Since you have conflicting stories, why not just bring Chu Chen here and ask him?"

At that moment, someone in the crowd raised their hand. "Steward Xu, when we received the order to retreat to the main hall, our team saw Chu Chen being dragged away by a demon, and General Bai Ning chased after them."

Steward Xu looked sharply toward the courtyard. *Then who is currently in the courtyard fighting the demons?*